Gardenias and Clematis
by Jael73
Summary: A flower from the past changes Jenkins' life forever. Jenkins/Cassandra, with Eve/Flynn. Dulaque makes an appearance. Explicit sexual content, issues of consent. Exploring Jenkins' past and future, Cassie's hidden desires, team dynamics. Set sometime after the current season.
1. Chapter 1

Flynn Carson, Librarian, huffed in frustration. They had been trying to carefully open an unknown magical object for days with no success. They had tried all of the known spells, and even some that Flynn hadn't known about until Cassandra had found them in a book he had actually never even seen before. It was good to have multiple Librarians, he thought to himself.

But none of the Librarians- himself, Cassandra Cillian, Ezekiel Jones, and Jacob Stone, as well as their Guardian Eve Baird, or the enigmatic caretaker of the Library, Jenkins (actually the Grail Knight Galahad, Flynn still couldn't quite get over that), had had any success.

Given the context in which Flynn had found the closed vase (suspended by magic in an underground temple in Spain), they didn't want to accidently trip a curse or a trap. Jacob was busy looking up art motifs, Cassandra and Zeke were trying to determine if there was a pattern or code on the vase-like vessel, and Jenkins had been checking old references to magical vases. Having found nothing, he had gone to the kitchen to make tea.

Cassandra rubbed her temples tiredly. "It's almost as if…."

"It's not magic at all, is it?" Ezekiel asked, his eyes growing wide. "That's why we haven't been able to get inside!" He ran his thumb along the lip of the vase, and felt a clasp. "Look!" he said triumphantly, and then ducked as the vase exploded.

Yellow dust filled the air, choking everyone for a moment. "Damn it, Ezekiel!" Flynn yelled, scared and exasperated at the same time. He had no idea if they were all about to die from poisoned gas. This was something he had never seen before.

"It doesn't seem to be harmful. It even smells nice," Eve said, as they all stood up and looked at the shattered vase. "Like…Gardenias and…."

"Clematis," Cassandra finished, eyes closed. Flynn looked at her in wonder.

"That's familiar…I've heard of that combination…" he started mumbling to himself, as he set off up the Annex stairs to find a book.

Jenkins came in with the tea. "What happened?" he asked, inhaling the strong scent and seeing everyone covered in the yellow dust. It troubled him, somehow. He set the tea try down on the table. Everyone gratefully took a cup, the powder still in their throats.

"Jones managed to get the thing to explode, and we got a cloud of yellow flower pollen everywhere," Eve answered.

"Hey!" Zeke complained. "We were all trying to open it!"

"Carefully, Ezekiel. We were trying to open it _carefully,"_ Cassie admonished. Zeke rolled his eyes. "Part of the job, Cass."

"Here it is! This is amazing!" Flynn yelled as he bounded down the stairs. "It's always something new around here," he continued breathlessly. "This one I've never seen, because the flower was actually deliberately exterminated in the 11th century."

"What flower was that?" Jenkins asked as he sipped his tea. He had begun to feel…odd…but as he watched the others for similar effects, he saw nothing. He accounted it for not having eaten breakfast, and continued to listen to Mr. Carson.

"Nataliam," Carson answered, reading.

Jenkins' teacup rattled in its saucer. "What!?" Jenkins managed to force out in a hoarse whisper. "No…."

"It's a rather dangerous flower, hence the confinement," Flynn rambled on, not noticing his reaction. "But no worries. It only affects-" Flynn stopped, realization dawning. He looked up and Jenkins, who had gone completely white.

Jenkins put his teacup down. "No..." he whispered again, closing his eyes tightly.

"Virgins," Flynn finished softly. He watched Jenkins crumple inwardly. Flynn blinked and licked his lips nervously, looking over at Eve.

"Well, that just leaves Cassie," Ezekiel snickered.

"Hey!" Cassandra protested, distracted by Zeke's teasing from watching Jenkins' reaction to the news. Everyone else was looking at Flynn looking at Jenkins.

Jenkins stepped back from the table, with a look on his face the team had never seen before: embarrassment. He turned his back to them all, unable to take their new awareness of his very private, very personal life, his distress evident in the hunch of his shoulders.

Flynn's mouth was open as Jenkins confirmed his fear. He felt helpless. He looked back at Eve, and the other three, desperate for an answer, a trick to come to his head to save this man than he had just started to consider a friend.

Everyone was dead silent as realization set in.

Jenkins put his hand to his eyes, as if trying to clear his sight. He inclined his head, turning only slightly so that the others could not see his face.

"You will let me know if you find anything?" he asked so softly, Cassandra almost had to strain to hear him. It was a different voice. Sad. Broken.

"Of course." Carson said. Jenkins stood silent for a moment, as if too stunned to move.

"I will be in my room, then," he finished, and walked with dignity out of the Annex to his private room.

"What was that all about?" Ezekiel asked, confused. "What does the dust do?"

CJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC

Jenkins entered his room slowly. He was in shock. He had given his life to the Library, and yet this was now his fate.

He slowly undressed and took a very, very long shower. He knew the effects of Nataliam. And he knew the consequences.

He sat down in front of his fire after dressing. For hours, he simply stared at the fire. He didn't put on his jacket or his tie. He couldn't be bothered.

But he knew what was most likely to come - he was certainly not going to look like a slob.

His heart hurt with the knowledge. He was already starting to feel the effects of the dust. A tear slid down his cheek.

It was not fair.

A soft knock on the door prompted him to startle in his seat. "Who is it?" he asked rather gruffly.

"Charlene," said the distinctive voice of the Library's "accountant." She was hardly _just_ that.

Jenkins squeezed his eyes tight. He _couldn't do this._ Somehow, slowly, he pulled himself together, and opened the door.

The First Guardian and the Immortal Caretaker stared at each other. The history between them spanned centuries, and a choice made.

"Can I come in?" she asked, in the softest, most caring voice he had ever heard from her. He filed the sound away, to cherish forever.

"Of course," he tried to keep his roiling emotions from his voice. "Would you care for something to drink?"

"Brandy if you've got it," she quipped, making Jenkins smile, if only a little. God, how he loved this woman!

He poured two brandies, and brought a glass to her. He held his in the air as if to make a toast, but the words wouldn't come. What he possibly make a toast _to?_

"Down in one," Charlene said, clinking her glass to his. The rich liquid burned brightly on the back of his throat.

"I've told everyone that I wanted to come, because of how long we've known each other," she started, looking at him. But Jenkins couldn't take the scrutiny, fidgeting with items around his room.

"I'm not sure what you mean," he said, with his mind racing – _What does she mean, she doesn't know-_

"I can't give you a child, Galahad," Charlene's voice was so quite now. He turned and looked at her. Her eyes were bright with tears. "I would if I could. I know…." She heaved a sigh, and continued, "I've always known you exiled yourself to the Annex not because of a silly disagreement between you and Judson…but because I chose Judson, because you loved me."

Jenkins was frozen, staring at his love, having her say everything that was in his heart. He felt naked, exposed, in front of her. And somehow, he did not mind.

"However this works out, I want you to promise me something," she began again, somehow holding back the tears. "Promise me you'll give yourself to her fully. Don't hold back. Don't resent her. Give her the Knight I know you still are."

"Charlene…." he whispered. She came closer, and reached up to kiss his cheek. He held his hand there as she left.

Jenkins poured himself another drink.

He was close to having one too many several hours later when he heard another soft knock at the door. He turned in his chair to call "Come," not really wanting to bother getting up. It was Cassandra balancing a tea tray with her hip as she opened the door. He instantly stood up (hundreds of years of chivalrous conditioning) and took the tray from her.

"Miss Cillian, please let me help," he said, but Cassie didn't miss the tears that he had quickly wiped from his eyes. She gave him a shy smile and said "Thank you" quietly as he arranged the tray of sandwiches and cups on his small table.

It had been morning when the Nataliam was discovered, and now it was the late afternoon. The sandwiches were a welcome sight, but he was unsure about Cassandra. She was fidgeting back and forth.

"Would you care to join me for tea, Miss Cillian?" he asked. He refused to think of what her presence implied. He could smell her perfume, and it made his heart beat faster.

 _They must not know the effect she would have on me,_ he thought. Surely they wouldn't have sent her, otherwise.

"Yes, thank you. Flynn said this tea would help…." Here she looked down, blushing slightly.

"Ah. Well, thank you. He…ah, explained, then?" Jenkins tried to not look at her, busying himself with pouring the tea, going for a clinical approach to salvage his dignity.

"Yes," she said simply, but continued on quickly, "But in a way, I'm not sorry. I mean, I am, because this isn't really your choice, but I am because this might be my only chance to tell you…."

"Miss Cillian," Jenkins sucked in a breath, setting down the teapot before he dropped it, shocked at the implication of her words. Charlene, at least, was somewhat closer to his real age…this, this was….

"You can't possibly be saying… that… you…me…." He trailed off, unable to continue. He felt so unlike himself, unable to articulate the insane, fantastical thoughts flying around in his head.

They stared at each other, trying to figure out how to say what had to be said. Cassandra looked away first. "Flynn was a bit worried you'd say no. He said you might… not like girls," she wrung her hands nervously. "But I was worried that you…might not like…me." Her voice got so very small at the last word.

"Miss Cillian," Jenkins said, finding his voice after a moment of staring, "Cassandra." He said again, making Cassie look up at him. He took a breath.

"While I believe…I would prefer women… it truly doesn't matter in this instance. Did Mr. Carson explain further? Did he tell you want we would have to do? For months?" The pitch of his voice rose, his indignation evident. How could Carson send this beautiful young woman into this!

"Yes, he did," Cassie looked at him squarely. She had made up her mind. There was no going back.

 _Earlier, after Jenkins left the main hall_

"Damn. This is serious. And we don't have time to figure out how to counteract it." Flynn had started pacing the length of the hall.

"What does it do?" Eve asked.

"Jenkins is a virgin? Really? I thought he was like, hundreds of years old!" Ezekiel asked incredulously.

"He's Galahad. He's _the_ Grail Knight. Of course he is," Jacob said, thinking out loud. "Purity of the body as well as the spirit was required. Sex was considered a distraction. And sex outside of marriage was considered extremely taboo in the time he grew up."

"So, this flower just makes people have sex?" Eve asked. "Honestly, it can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

"No, not just sex. That's why the flower was completely wiped out. It makes people have sex until they smell their own progeny. That's why it doesn't work on anyone except virgins. Your biochemistry changes after sex with another person."

"It does?" Cassandra asked, skeptically.

"Most of our marriage rituals still today stem from the use of Nataliam." Carson continued, full-on lecture mode. "Honeymoons, mistresses that aren't meant to produce heirs, even the idea that it's bad luck to see each other before your wedding, all arose from its effects. Bachelor parties, even. It's not a consensual feeling, it's an uncontrollable compulsion. Jenkins is probably already feeling it." He raised his eyebrows a bit, so that everyone would take his meaning. They all looked at something else, embarrassed for their gentlemanly friend.

"What, effects, exactly?" Eve managed to ask in a few minutes, giving everyone time to process. "We need to know."

Flynn sighed heavily, skimming the book he had brought down. "He'll have to engage in some sort of sexual activity pretty much every four to five days, but intercourse is the best way," he read. "If he doesn't, the pollutant builds up in his bloodstream, causing mental anxiety, manic mood swings, violent behavior, and eventually high blood pressure that can cause a stroke or heart attack." He looked up at the group. "Basically, it forces the victim to feel desire. If that desire isn't physically diffused regularly, he'll get violent. Eventually, he'll die."

They all stared at each other. "Wow." Jake answered for them.

"So, this makes you have sex until a woman gives birth to your baby?" Ezekiel summarized. "I mean, what if you're gay? Could Jenkins be gay?" He looked a little more interested in this topic than perhaps was appropriate, given the seriousness of the situation.

Eve rolled her eyes at him, though Flynn took the question seriously. "Honestly, I don't know. Jenkins could be asexual, for all I know. But it doesn't matter. This isn't magical, it's biochemical. He's going to have to do this, with a woman, get her pregnant, or else he will have one horrific death." Flynn's expression became thoughtful. "If he can even die."

Jake answered, "Some of the legends of Galahad say that God granted him the right to choose his time of death. If this thing is as horrible as that, it could actually make him _want_ to die."

Everyone gave that some thought. Eve sighed in frustration. "I mean, his _is_ hundreds of years old," Eve said, grimacing as an apology. "What if he can't… make babies?"

"It talks about that, too." Flynn said, running his finger down the page. "It's one of the reasons the plant was exterminated. It was strictly used by the ruling class in ancient times to guarantee offspring, which limited deaths from infertile couples. But if you really were infertile, hopefully your sister wasn't, because the biochemical traces of your sister's child could also end the effect. That's why so many cultures trace ancestry through the sister."

"That makes sense, actually." Cassandra said, look up into space, clearly lost in her own thought projections. "The biological marker must be mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from your mother. This plant _evolved…_ It was probably recognized as an aphrodisiac thousands of years ago, and then it gradually changed with use." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Living with a tumor as a time bomb in her head, some days were better than others.

Flynn kept reading. "But over time, it started to be used not just by the ruling class, but by families that wanted to guarantee offspring, and as a 'virgin detector'. Blood lines became trackable this way, and therefore became valuable for the first time by ordinary people. But the Church disapproved of its use, and the last time in recorded history it was used…." Flynn look up from the page, green with nausea, "was in the ritual mating of King Arthur to his sister, Morgan."

"Oh, how awful," Cassandra said. "Jenkins' friend. He probably remembers how much Arthur didn't want to go through with it."

"So… now what?" Eve asked, though they all knew the answer. "I mean, this is going to sound pretty rude, but, you or me, Cassandra?"


	2. Chapter 2

"You know I don't have a long life to live. If I live three more years, that'll be well outside the time the doctors gave me when the tumor was discovered. I normally wouldn't have thought about having children. I wouldn't want to leave them without a mother. But if I can do this for you…" Her eyes were wet with tears, her voice raw, "if I can know you'll have a child to care for, someone to care for you…then it's worth it."

"Cassie…" Jenkins reached out his hand, but took it back, not wanting to make contact just yet. The state of arousal was still controllable. "But what about Mr. Jones? I thought…."

"No. We're just friends. I think he'd like to be more, but that's never going to happen. My heart was taken some time ago." Her eyes told him more than he had known.

"Eve said she'd be honored to do this for you, if I couldn't, or even if I die before I can give birth. They all think I'm doing this because I probably won't live long enough to have a child with anyone else. But that's not why…I don't expect you to return my feelings." She stopped ringing her hands and picked up her teacup. But she couldn't quite look him in the eye, after that confession.

Jenkins was dumbfounded. He had very tender feelings towards this beautiful, smart, vivacious, generous and compassionate woman, but had never allowed himself to pursue thoughts any deeper than that. He had forced himself to continually think of her as a daughter, to be the father she clearly had never truly had.

He was over a thousand years old. He knew he looked to be a modern man in his sixties, fifties if he was extremely flattering to himself. He knew himself to be in good shape for a man that age, but had no illusions about being a man in the prime of his life. Could he really ask her to -

He stood suddenly, unable to sit still any longer with those kind of thoughts rushing through his head, and turned to the front of his fireplace. He stood there, silent, starring at the mantle, trying to put his thoughts together. His emotions boiled inside of him. They raced from anger at being a victim to incredulousness at bringing a child to the world that might not ever feel wanted. He knew exactly how that child might feel.

He took a deep breath.

"This is very difficult, for me," he began slowly, remembering a story from several lifetimes ago. "I loved someone, once, a long time ago, and I vowed to love her for eternity, though she chose another." He looked aside at her, calmly listening to a story he had intended to never tell.

"I love her still. And I do not know how I can-" he stopped, undone with emotion, his voice failing.

"I understand, I think," Cassandra let him off the hook of continuing. "I can accept that you might not have the… proper, if you will, level of feeling for me that I do for you. But if we both understand that…."

"I don't know how much you've read of what's out there about the time of Arthur, but my mother was a devout Catholic," he continued, still with his back to her, gripping the mantle as if it was the only thing keeping him up. "Though she deceived my father in order to conceive me, she tried her very best to instill in me those virtues, given that my father was not part of my childhood."

Here Jenkins looked over at her again, smiling tightly. Cassie knew instinctively that though he did love his father, Dulaque, the famous Lancelot, he had loved his mother much more.

"While many of those virtues I have left behind over the centuries, some… remain." He said, looking back at the fire. As if making a final decision, he reached for a small box sitting on the mantle.

He turned towards her. "I've never thought much about… not having a-a sex life," he stuttered and blushed nervously, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Cassandra thought it was adorable. "Mostly because I was… not married, if I'm to be completely honest," he finished, coming to her side, and bending down on one knee. Cassie held her breath.

"While this is not at all ideal, and there are many more things I would want to tell you, and I know it will be awkward, and I sincerely hope we can be good for one another… would you consent to marry me?" Jenkins asked, his eyes pleading with her, the box open in his hand, a simple gold ring.

"I could not imagine asking you to do…this, for me, without giving you something for your own. My father gave this to my mother as a symbol of his commitment to return to her no matter what. Though she deceived him, and he loved another, and he never really forgave me for being born, I've kept it all of these centuries, waiting to see if there would be anyone…. A promise, then, that I will try my very best to be a good partner, and that I will take care of our child whatever may come."

Tears spilled down Cassie's cheeks. "That's beautiful. No one has ever thought about me that way. Yes, I would love to marry you."

Librarians and Guardian turned at the sound of Cassandra and Jenkins walking in from the hall. Eve noted while they were standing close together, they weren't touching. Flynn had said Jenkins would already be suffering the effects of the pollen, she remembered. She was certain Jenkins was trying hard to stay completely appropriate.

Jenkins cleared his throat. "Miss Cillian and I have…discussed the situation," Jenkins started. He couldn't quite look any of them in the eye. This was mortifying. He took a breath and continued, "She has also accepted my proposal of marriage."

There was a collective gasp by the rest of the crew, a pause, and then Eve gave out an incredibly girlish squeal. "That's wonderful! Congratulations!" she said, coming around the main table to give Cassie a big hug. She offered her biggest smile to Jenkins, not touching him. She hoped everyone else would take her cue. "I've always said this is a weird gig, Jenkins, but I'm truly happy for you; I know this will all work out for the best."

"Thank you, Colonel, I do appreciate that," he returned, finally able to look her in the eye. Was this the answer? The rest of them being able to forget the fact that he would be taking this beautiful young lady regularly to bed, as long as there was a wedding first? _Cultural norms are a powerful thing_ , he thought to himself as he accepted the congratulations from the rest of them in turn.

"How do we do this, then?" Flynn asked. "Do you want a legal wedding, the whole bit?"

"That would make it easier when our child is born, with a paperwork trail and everything," Cassandra said, looking up at Jenkins, "but is it possible to do on such short notice?"

"Ah – yes, actually," Jenkins went into Caretaker mode, pulling solutions out of his proverbial hat, "it is. I, as it happens, know a priest who would be willing to help."

JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC

"Of course, my old friend, I would be honored," Pope Francis said later that evening to Jenkins, speaking in his native tongue of Spanish. He had met the enigmatic Caretaker long ago, when he first because a priest of the Church. Craziness ensued, and he actually ended up helping the Librarian at the time keep a horrible cursed object out of the hands of those that would harm his village in Argentina. Jenkins had been involved because of his expertise in magical machinery.

Becoming Pope, he had learned more about the man he had met all those years ago. His faith told him there was more to the world than what he could see. He wished very much he could give this knowledge of the Divine to the world, but understood why he could not. God was good, and the creation of Faith kept the world from pulling itself apart. Most of the time.

"Thank you, Your Holiness," Jenkins said, bowing slightly at the chest. "At the end of the week? I apologize for the short notice, but it is necessary for it to happen soon." Jenkins then realized how that sounded. "Not in a bad, way, please understand."

The Holy Father laughed. "I have seen much worse, my friend."

"I was actually… accidentally exposed to… Nataliam," Jenkins confessed. He could not lie, even by omission, to this man, no matter how embarrassing the situation was. His mother's voice would simply become too loud to bear.

Pope Francis' eyes widened. "I understand, now. You deal with many ancient things, my friend. This is one of the reasons it was banned. It is not God's plan that men and women should be forced together." He looked at Jenkins carefully, both honored to know this virtuous man, and yet concerned. "You are certain the woman understands?"

"Yes. She is wise beyond her years. Though I will warn her about possible… aggression." He looked down, fidgeting slightly in his embarrassment.

"Good," the Pope said simply. "I will arrange for a license from Città del Vaticano, and have you formally listed as a citizen. That should allow the bureaucracy to work smoothly for you both. But, I will need a full Christian name for you, my friend."

Jenkins paused for moment. It had been a long time since he had had to think about names. "Galeas Gerwyn. Please use Galeas Gerwyn Jenkins."

Jenkins came through the Annex's magical door to a waiting Cassandra. "Everything is arranged. We can be married in three days' time." He looked at her closely when he received no reply. She appeared to be more upset than she had been when he left. Was she regretting accepting his proposal?

"Is everything alright?" He asked as gently as he could. Being near her was starting to make his body react in ways that were completely inappropriate. He jammed his fingernails into the palm of his hand to distract himself.

"Would you be willing to…invite my parents?" She asked quietly. Jenkins stared at her. Parents!? What would they say? How could they possibly approve?

"I don't want Dad to walk me down the aisle or anything," Cassie rushed to explain. "He hasn't earned that. But, they're the only family I have. Could I at least invite them, even if they won't come? Or even worse, if they come and try to cause problems?"

"You are welcome to invite anyone you wish," Jenkins tried to say convincingly. "But the wedding will be in Vatican City. That's the only way my "connection" can make the paperwork realistic. If you gave them tickets tomorrow, would they use them?" There was no way they could use the magic door for people who had no idea magic existed.

"I have no idea. I at least want to try," she said. And then asked, "Why Vatican City?"

"Our officiant is Pope Francis," Jenkins made a small smirk as Cassie gasped. He could still impress.

Jenkins looked down at her sweet face. "May I kiss you goodnight?" he asked a bit fearfully, unsure if he was overstepping. Cassie looked at him for a few seconds, and then nodded her head, her eyes wide.

He bent forward and curled his hand to the nap of her neck. Her hair was so thick and soft. He brought his lips to hers slowly, hesitantly, not wanting to scare her, and afraid she would recoil in horror, finally realizing what she had gotten herself into.

But there was no recoil, no tenseness. She was pliant against him, leaning into him, parting her lips for him. He was overwhelmed – he had never kissed a woman on the lips before. Nothing had ever felt this way, nothing had ever felt this right.

He pulled back reluctantly, not trusting himself any longer. Cassie still had her eyes closed, her lips still slightly parted, the pleasure she obviously felt in this kiss still lingering.

She opened her eyes, and then gave him a brilliant smile. It was so lovely, it made him smile in return. Perhaps, just perhaps, this wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Silently, Jenkins spun up Cassie's apartment door, and she walked through, but not before giving his hand a final squeeze. Jenkins was sure he would get little sleep tonight.

JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC

The next morning, Jenkins spoke to Charlene, who arranged the tickets for Cassie's parents within an hour. She had also arranged a rental car in Pittsburg for them, as it would probably look a bit strange if Cassie and Jenkins just showed up at her parents' door with no transportation.

"Are you ready?" Jenkins asked her gently as he powered up the Annex's magical door. Cassie stood there, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I haven't seen them in over a year. I email them, sometimes I call, but their disappointment is hard to take, most of the time," she almost whispered, her eyes wide with memories.

"We needn't stay long," he reassured her. "There will be no discussion. I will not allow them to berate you."

She looked up at him. "Thank you for coming with me. I know this can't be easy for you." She had noticed that he had died his hair slightly, lessening the grey. While she adored his hair, she knew it would make things easier with her parents if they could fake his age a bit more. Her eyes stung with his thoughtfulness.

Jenkins opened the door and took her hand, placing it in the crook of his arm. "I would never make you do this alone," he said, his voice low, almost husky with emotion.

Cassie looked at him seriously. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was like to have a true life-partner. To know that someone has your back no matter what. To be in love.

She looked at the door, determined. Jenkins took that as the signal to open the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: This chapter might change if we get any canon on Cassie's parents in S3.**

"Cassandra?" Her mother stared at her and Jenkins, mouth open. She was an elegant looking woman, otherwise, with soft auburn curls and well-tailored clothes.

"Who's at the door, Eleanor?" a man called from inside the house.

"Can we come in?" Cassie asked. Her mother nodded, clearly trying to compose herself, as her father saw them from the hall.

"Cassie?" he said. "Hi, Dad," she returned softly. It was clear Cassie had taken after her father in looks, if she had her mother's petite stature. The man's hair was no longer as fiery red as Cassandra's, but Jenkins was certain it had been at one time.

"Who's your friend, Cassie?" her father asked. Jenkins felt he was clearly the kinder one of the two, even if he had also treated Cassandra poorly.

"Galeas," she answered. Jenkins had told her his "first" name, so that she could use it in public. But she had told him that she would always think of him as Jenkins. It had warmed his heart, somehow.

"I have something to tell you," she started, but her mother interrupted.

"Let's everyone sit down, and I will make some tea," Eleanor insisted.

Cassie sighed, and nodded. She didn't want them to feel put out – she really did want them to come to the wedding.

They all went into the living room. It was a lovely home, all creams and chocolates. Jenkins had yet to ask Cassie about her parent's incomes – he simply couldn't tell if they were wealthy or just retired smart investors.

As Eleanor puttered in the kitchen, Dad extended his had to Jenkins. "Charles Cillian," he said.

"Galeas Jenkins. It is very good to meet you, Mr. Cillian," Jenkins said formally. He knew this was going to be tough enough on Cassandra's parents. He couldn't blame them, except for not being there for her over the years.

They all sat down, Cassie sitting close to Jenkins on the couch. Jenkins could tell Charles was a good judge of character at situation, from the look he was giving them both.

"How have you been, Cassie?" her dad asked softly, clearly waiting for his wife before attacking the elephant in the room.

"Good. I've taken a job at a library in Oregon," she said.

"Has that been OK for you? You said last time that the episodes have decreased…."

"Yeah, it's been good. I'm on some new medication. It doesn't cure anything, but it helps the nosebleeds," she explained. Of course, she couldn't explain that she was actually Merlin now. She hadn't told anyone yet. She didn't want to until she worked out if she could get rid of the tumor or not.

Jenkins sat beside her, listening, trying to give her strength and control an urge to run his fingers on her skin at the same time. He was starting to feel completely ridiculous, like what he assumed 17 year old boys feel like. And it was starting make him rather angry with himself.

Her mother came in with a tea tray. "I'm sorry I don't have any sandwiches cut," she said curtly, clearly miffed at Cassandra's abrupt visit.

"Thanks, Mom," Cassie said simply, accepting the cup from her mother. Eleanor passed a cup to her husband and to Jenkins, trying to avoid his eyes. She then took up her own cup.

"Well, why don't you tell us why you're here, Cassandra."

Cassie sat her cup on its saucer. "Galeas works with me at the library in Oregon. We've been working together for over a year."

Here she took a deep breath. "We're getting married the day after tomorrow."

Both of her parents gasped, though Jenkins could tell Charles was not quite as shocked as Eleanor.

"But...are you…," Eleanor trailed off, a rather horrified expression on her face.

Jenkins squeezed Cassie's arm, making her look at him. An unspoken thought went between them, Jenkins telling her to let him take the lead. She gave him a small, but grateful smile.

"I apologize for the last minute notice. But there are some things we simply are not willing to explain. And no, Cassandra is not carrying my child," he gave Eleanor a hard look, and took the airplane tickets from his suit breast pocket.

"The wedding will be in Rome. These are the tickets for you if you wish to use them. Everything is arranged. You will have access to a car and driver. Cassie very much wishes you to be there, but your presence is not required."

Charles and Eleanor simply started at Jenkins, processing. Then Charles blinked, trying to bring himself around. He looked at his wife. "Eleanor, why don't you take Cassie out to the yard and show her how well your Clematis is growing?" he suggested. It was not really a suggestion. Jenkins saw a glimmer of the man he used to be, before finding out his child had an inoperable tumor.

Tight-lipped, Eleanor nodded once, and left the living room without a word. Cassie looked from her father to Jenkins, and nodded as well, before silently following her mother.

Charles looked at Jenkins for a second or two, and then walked over to a side cabinet, and took out a brandy bottle and two glasses. "You drink brandy?" He asked.

Jenkins nodded, and Charles poured them both a generous drink.

"Thank you," Jenkins said simply as Charles handed him a glass.

"You're welcome. You know that Cassie has a brain tumor, I hope?" Charles started as they both sat back down.

"Yes, she's told me, and some about her life before she came to The Library," Jenkins said. He really couldn't help capitalizing The Library in his mind. "I know only a little about her childhood, however, though I understand yours is not an easy relationship."

"No," Cassie's father said sadly, looking into his glass. "We haven't handled it well. Cassie was our everything. We were so thrilled with her mind, were looking forward to what she could do. And then…." He stopped, and looked up at Jenkins. "Will you be able to care for her? She deserves so much more…."

"She deserves a family that shows they love her," Jenkins said a bit coldly. But then relented. He didn't want this to end in a fight. "But yes, I can take care of her."

"Do you love her?" Charles said abruptly.

Jenkins looked at him straight in the eye. "Yes. I know it seems a bit outrageous, for a man my age. I have never been married, but I have done well for myself. Cassie will have the best of everything, and want for nothing."

"Well then," Charles said, raising his glass to Jenkins, "I hope Cassie can convince Eleanor."

Mother and daughter along the garden wall covered with Clematis. Cassie breathed in the heady fragrance. The memory of their smell had helped her focus many a time.

"I'm not sure what to say, Cassandra," her mother started. Cassie looked over at her as they walked.

"I am sorry for the short notice, but I'm not sorry that I'm getting married," Cassie began, "because it's one of the many things I thought I'd never be able to do."

"Why this man? He's so much older, how old is he, anyway?" Eleanor's voice had a bit of pleading to it, as if she just wanted a normal child. No, Cassie thought, she just wanted the child of her dreams.

"Because he's the only one that's ever asked," Cassie said pointedly. "He's 54, if you must know. I've had feelings for him for a while, but I never would have asked to burden him with…me. I'll probably be dead in a couple of years," she said without emotion, "so it's not like it really matters how old he is. I'll die before him, no matter what."

Eleanor stopped in her tracks, looking at Cassie with tears in her eyes. "This isn't what I wanted for you," she said, her voice tight, straining to control herself.

"I'd rather not have a tumor, either," Cassie said coolly, "but that's reality. Jen- Galeas, I mean, can take care of me. Maybe even help me find better doctors. All I know is that I'm better when he's around. Happy. I'm actually happy, Mother," she said, reaching out to touch her mother's hand.

Eleanor looked down at Cassie hand touching hers. She had not touched her daughter in so long. She finally nodded her head in approval.

"I know we've not done right by you. I can admit that, now. It was so hard, at first, to admit that you couldn't go to college, couldn't hold a job, couldn't have anything. And there was nothing we could do about it. It was almost painful to talk to you for so many years." She looked at Cassie, and touched her cheek. "I'm sorry about that. We missed what time we did have together."

Tears split down Cassandra's cheeks. "Thank you. I've missed you both so much," she said as she hugged her mother, the first time in years.

They said their goodbyes quickly after that, with promises to have the driver meet them at the airport in Rome. They walked out arm-in-arm, Cassie clearly much happier.

After dropping off the rental car, Cassie took out her phone to call Col. Baird to turn on the magical doorway. But Jenkins stopped her.

"May I ask you…" he said softly, fidgeting nervously.

"Anything," Cassie said encouragingly.

"If this goes as planned, and nine months from now, you give birth…." He swallowed, clearly uncomfortable. He fingered his tie. Cassie wanted to drink in these idiosyncrasies, now that she was "allowed" to properly pay attention to him.

"And all is well, and you and the child come home, and before you decide if you wish to stay with me after that – no, you have that right, I will not deny you a divorce if that's what you want," he said in answer to her mouth open to protest, "but before then, would you consent to…one night, with me, without the Nataliam affect?"

Cassie looked at him, astonished. That was not what she thought he would ask. But it made sense.

"I know this is always going to feel like…a violation," she started slowly, thinking it through. Jenkins now opened his mouth to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him.

"No, let me finish. This isn't your choice, which makes it rape by all definitions. We're both adults, we both understand why it happened and why it has to be done this way, but I wish it could be different. And so… I say yes."

Jenkins looked at her, astonished. That was not what he was expecting her to say.

"If you don't hate me by then. Which you might." Cassie looked at him sadly.

She then slowly brought up her hand to his hair, and ran her fingers through it. Jenkins closed his eyes, and shuddered involuntarily. No one had touched him like this, ever.

She waited until he opened his eyes again, and smiled. "I've wanted to do that for so long."

And then her faced fell. "And I just said that I knew you would always feel violated. Oh, I'm so sorry."

Jenkins looked at her tenderly. "It does not feel that way. I know some of it is the Nataliam, but…some of it is also…just me. Which is why I ask for the favor. I would like to know what is "real", if you will."

Cassie nodded, and made the phone call to the Annex. They both walked through the door, feeling like completely new people.

JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC

The Annex was busy with wedding plans. Flynn and Jake arranged for a honeymoon in Wales, at a small castle that could be rented, complete with staff. Ezekiel arranged for Cassie's parents' transportation and lodging. And Eve went with Cassie shopping for dresses for the bride and "maid of honor." Charlene even promised to come, so they were to pick up a dress for her as well.

Now the night before his wedding, and Jenkins was pacing his room. Pacing and pacing, like he couldn't stop. He was feeling the effects of the Nataliam keenly now, and it was difficult to sit, or eat, or anything else that required concentration. He couldn't think of anything besides Cassandra. It was both one of the worst feelings Jenkins had felt in his life, and one of the best.

He heard a knock at his door. "What!? He said sharply. He was long passed politeness. The door opened, and Flynn Carson looked inside. "Can I come in?"

Jenkins nodded curtly. He had asked Flynn to be his best man, with the other two Librarians acting as groomsmen.

"I just wanted to let you know what everything is set for tomorrow," Flynn began, and then paused. "Are you alright?

"I-" Jenkins tried to still himself, control his breathing. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'll be fine."

"Well, ok. I just wanted you to know," Flynn said, as he backed out of the room and closed the door. He stood at the other side of the door, thinking.

When he returned to the main room of the Annex, he pointed at Eve, and then pointed at the general direction of Jenkins' room. "You. You're his Guardian. Go."

Eve gave him a look somewhere between incredulousness and indignation that he would try to boss her around so. But the look on _his_ face stopped her from saying anything more. She walked straight to Jenkins' room and knocked on the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm quite serious, Mr. Carson, I'll be fine!" came the forceful command of Jenkins through the door.

Eve opened the door anyway, to see Jenkins turn at the sound. His face was a rage of frustration and humiliation. His demeanor changed slightly when he realized it was her instead of Flynn.

"Col. Baird, did you need something?" he asked quickly, trying to deflect the attention from himself. And though he was committed to Cassandra, he felt the pull of desire for this woman. And grimaced internally at the thought that in a few days, _any_ woman would do.

She made a quick assessment of his physical condition. Fists clenched, eyes darting back and forth, fidgeting, he was a tiger in a cage.

"Are you going to make it until tomorrow?" Eve asked bluntly. Jenkins looked at her sharply, wanted to reprimand her for being so familiar… he was so on edge, it was so uncomfortable, he _hated_ this….

But her question helped him focus. He breathed deeply, and was finally able to sit down, hands covering his face.

"I don't know," he moaned sadly. But after a couple of seconds, he sighed. "It's much worse than Arthur ever let on. Though I don't think he went this long…after exposure." His cheeks reddened. "I apologize, it's not exactly appropriate conversation-"

Eve brushed that aside. "Have you thought about, maybe…" and she made a slight back and forth gesture with her hand, one that could be interpreted a certain way if Jenkins wanted to do so.

He got the message. His eyes grew wide. "No, of course not!" His voice rose several decibels as he jumped up. "I would never disrespect Cassandra by…I would be thinking of her if I… she's not a tool for my pleasure!" he roared, turned and punched the wall, splintering the wood paneling and bloodying his hand.

Eve was stunned. She had never seen this man lose his temper. Never in a violent way. It made her shiver.

Jenkins looked at his hand, horrified. He had killed men, but only in combat, never out of anger. But the constant driving feeling of aching desire had lessened. _This is what the ancients meant about "aggression,"_ Jenkins thought.

"What was that?" Eve finally choked out.

Jenkins closed his eyes, trying to forgive himself. "One of the side effects. Sex is a strong emotion. So is anger." He looked at Eve, sadness lining his face. "They both release hormones, diffusing the effect of the pollen in one's bloodstream. It is specifically why domestic abuse was officially sanctioned for so long."

Eve looked at him for a long while. "You're afraid, aren't you?" she asked, getting to the heart of the matter. She truly was his Guardian.

"Yes," he said, overwhelmed, his emotions forcing tears to roll down his cheeks. "Yes, I am. I'm afraid I will scare her, disgust her, I'm afraid I will hurt her, this is not right, we need to find another way-"

"Stop," Eve held up her hand. Jenkins looked at her, chest heaving. "I don't think you'd ever let yourself hurt her, or me, for that matter, Jenkins. Honestly." She pointed to his chair, indicating he should sit. He did, emotionally exhausted.

After a pause, he said, "Thank you, Colonel. I am just… having trouble reconciling my morals to the reality of the situation. To have to force someone…." He made a face of profound disgust.

"She doesn't think of it that way, Jenkins," Eve said gently. _And neither would I._

Jenkins looked at her, and nodded his head in acknowledgement of the unspoken thought. "Thank you, Eve," he said softly.

"I have an idea, though. Trust me?" she asked. Jenkins simply nodded. No words were necessary. She let herself out.

Eve came back to the main room, thoughtful. "Well, is he Ok?" Flynn asked nervously.

"He will be, I think," she said, clearly distracted by her thoughts. "Let's go out, everyone. I'm buying."

"But Cassie's still at her apartment," Zeke protested, offended that Cassie might miss out on free drinks.

"She needs her rest," Eve nearly barked. Everyone started moving towards the non-magical exit. There was a grill down the road from the physical Annex that they frequented so that they weren't asking Jenkins for a magic doorway in the middle of the night.

Eve took out her phone and texted Cassie.

 _I'm spinning up the door to your apartment. Use it in 30 seconds. I'm taking everyone out to the pub. –Eve_

 _Why?- Cass_

 _Jenkins needs you tonight. –Eve_

 _Um, Eve, we agreed on no sex before the wedding, just so you know. –Cass_

 _Whatever. You don't have to have sex. But he's not going to make it through the wedding at this rate, imo. –Eve_

 _Oh. Well, ok, I'll see what he says. –Cass_

Eve put her phone away. Hopefully that was enough of a hint. Eve and Cass were close, but everyone knew Eve and Jenkins shared a special bond. She felt very protective of the Annex's Caretaker. Whatever could be done for him, should be, in her opinion.

JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC

Jenkins recognized the soft knock on the door. He straightened his short and pushed back his hair, trying to calm himself.

"Cassandra, I would not make for good company this evening," he said, opening the door for her, but then turning to his bookshelf and busying himself with the spines.

"That's what Eve said," Cassie said quietly, watching him try to avoid her eyes.

He stopped moving at her words, breathing heavily, his eyes scrunched shut, trying not to show her how much he needed her.

"Please tell me how I can help," she softly pleaded.

"We should wait. I _need_ us to wait," Jenkins said desperately, emotion making his voice raw.

"There are other things we can do, you know," Cassie said with a small smile, moving closer. Jenkins looked up at her, with the startled look of someone that just realized what it meant that Cassie wasn't affected by the pollen.

She wasn't a virgin.

She had more experience than he. He wouldn't be taking something from her, but would be allowing her to give something to him.

Cassie moved slowly, but inwardly was smiling. She felt strong and confident, as if seduction had always come naturally to her. Of course, it hadn't, the couple of times she had indulged herself with a man being awkward and vaguely disappointing.

But she knew what Jenkins needed, what he wanted, what he desired. She had no idea, really, how she knew, other than a stray thought in the back of her mind that she wasn't just good at patterns of numbers, but patterns pertaining to people, too. She had been watching Jenkins since she first met him in the woods, with all of them carrying a bleeding Flynn Carson. His patterns had mattered to her from the beginning. Now was her chance to put it all to good use.

She stood close to him, barley touching. She used her fingertips to feel the fabric at his hips, watching him carefully. She didn't want to overpower him. She wanted to turn him on - for real.

She understood how it felt to not be in control. She had felt that way for years, forced to work as a janitor, knowing she was going to die sooner than later. She didn't want to make this worse for him by going too fast.

Jenkins watched her slide up to him, and actually had to moisten his lips, they were so dry. She was a siren, a mermaid, beauty itself, a vision. His breath caught as she touched him.

"Cassandra, I'm afraid if you continue, I'll just..." he looked down at himself, embarrassed. Cassandra's eyes followed his, to see his generous erection tenting his trousers.

"We've got all night," she said sensuously, as slide her hands underneath his suspenders and slide them off his shoulders. She had never told anyone how much she liked suspenders on a man.

He made a small noise in the back of his throat that sent an electric shock to her navel. She gasped, desire filling her eyes. God, was this what it was suppose to be like?

But Jenkins was mortified at himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't – I mean, I did, but I would never want you to think I think –" he was babbling.

"That you find me attractive? That this is pleasant?" she asked.

"That you are only…to help me get through this," Jenkins countered, his voice deep and quiet. "You deserve more than that."

"I deserve what I want. And you deserve what you need," Cassandra broke it down simply.

She took off her shoes, but nothing else. She didn't want to rush this, but didn't want to get carried away, either. She knew it meant a lot to him to be married before intercourse. But there were lots of other things she had always wanted to try.

"Sit," she said firmly. He sat in his chair without comment, his eyes wide watching her.

 **AN: Next chapter is definitely M. You have been warned. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

She walked behind him. She wanted him to relax, to physically enjoy her company, enjoy having her in his space. She wasn't sure this would work, but she was damn well going to try.

She put her hands down his shoulders gently, feeling the extremely tense muscles through the fabric of his shirt. No wonder he was so uncomfortable. She couldn't help but be turned on, though, finally being able to touch him, even through his shirt.

Jenkins froze at her touch, and couldn't keep himself from fidgeting nervously. He couldn't see her, but could feel her body heat as she began to kneed the tight knots in his shoulders with her hands. He had never allowed someone to touch him like this, to get this close. He swallowed, the saliva acidic, a testament to how uncomfortable this was.

It only took a few seconds, though, of having her warm hands work the tension out of his back to make his whole mouth water with pleasure. His body had hurt with stress and the intensity of desire for days. He had no resistance.

He couldn't help but move without thought, leaning into her fingers, letting her read his body's cues as to what he liked as she applied more pressure.

It was delightful, slow and deliberate, down his back, and then up, moving the tension to the sides and then releasing it. He had never had anyone care for him so. Jenkins closed his eyes and moaned softly his approval. He couldn't help it, and at this precise moment, he simply could no longer give a damn about propriety.

She said nothing as she slid her hands up to his next and massaged the nape of his neck, touching his skin for the first time. His skin was taut, younger than she had thought it would be. She was aroused, heat building at her core, but she kept on. Jenkins' eyes were closed, head bent slightly forward, feeling the pads of her fingers on his neck, absolutely lost in the pleasure of her hands. It was more erotic to watch him than anything she had ever experienced.

She stopped, which made him immediately open his eyes, breathing heavily, his disappointment clear. She looked at him just a little mischievously.

"Lay down on the bed," she ordered softly. Jenkins was in no mood to argue.

He tried to not just lay passively and let her do all the work, but he mostly failed. Cassandra's hands were busy, undoing the buttons on his shirt. She opened it and lightly grazed his chest with her fingernails, eliciting a grunt from him in return.

Somewhere in the back of his mind was a place that chastised him for the carnal sound, for all of the sounds he made in pleasure, but that place was rapidly losing its authority.

She tugged on his sleeves until she could pull away the entire shirt, finally able to rub her hands over his chest and his arms, tweaking his nipples playfully. Her touch was almost painful now, with a low moan coming from him that only grew louder, desire shooting through his veins like liquid fire.

She said nothing as she worked at the button to his pants, working them off, to see his boxers. iBoxers./i Cassie nearly orgasmed at the sight. He was the man of her dreams, and she had nearly missed him.

She shimmied out of her clothes, starting with her panties. Jenkins could do nothing more than stare.

"Cassandra," he gasped, look at her with wide eyes. She smirked. iSmirked./i He knew he was in trouble now.

He wanted to protest, wanted to say they should slow down, but all he could do was wet his lips.

Cassandra saw the change in his mood, though, almost as if she could perceive an aura about him. She look into his deep blue eyes.

"Trust me?" She asked quietly. "I promise we won't have intercourse. But I want to do this for you. Please?"

Jenkins could only nod. That place in his mind spoke up again, that it wasn't right, he should be protecting her, promising to not hurt her. But the pleasure of Cassie's hands drowned the voice out again into white noise.

She scooted down his length, positioning herself perfectly to let his tip rest on her labia. He groaned, it was too much - and then she pushed against him, forcing his long length between her thighs.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh, Cassie!" He sobbed, overwhelmed, throwing his head back, his eyes seeing nothing, only thrusting, her skin creating the friction he had been denying himself for days. He gripped her shoulders, completely lost, the only thought he was capable of was the importance of moving between her thighs.

Cassie simply couldn't help but moan over and over as she clenched her thighs together, giving him a tight hole to thrust into. It was sensual, carnal, a sensory overload, to feel his penis between her thighs, his hands gripping her shoulders almost painfully, rocking back and forth. She had fantasized about this- it was kinky and erotic and perfect for what they needed now.

She barley registered that he was long, thick, and uncircumcised. She was, for the first time in her life, completely in the present, the motion acting like a chant, a trance.

Jenkins could only thrust for a few minutes before he lost all control, his hips jerking on their own, erratic, as Cassandra hung on to him to hold them in place. He was just a body, the need for completion filled him, as he cried out in glorious release.

It was just enough friction at her navel that allowed Cassie to follow him, the arousal of watching Jenkins pleasure himself with her thighs more than enough to bring her over the top. She shrieked, high pitched, it wasn't even vaginal sex, but by god it was the best orgasm of her life.

They laid like that for a moment, entangled, panting from exertion, Jenkins trying to come regain control of his body after experiencing the most intense pleasure of his life.

He quickly felt the effect of the release of days of tension, drowsiness nearly overtaking him. He refused, pushed it back, he wasn't going to be anything like the stories woman giggled at each other about their partners.

He looked down at Cassandra, who was snuggled into his chest, eyes closed, inhaling his scent. He knew he should offer to get a towel, to clean up the mess he had just surely made, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb such an angelic pose. This beautiful woman, snuggled against him, willingly let him use her body for his pleasure, and seemingly got something out of it in return. A tear slid down his cheek. He wasn't sure if it was from being happy or sad.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is short. But it was tough to write, and I knew where I wanted it to end, so here we are. I should be able to update more regularly now with the holidays over, though!  
**

Cassandra slipped away without waking Jenkins. Clearly, he was exhausted. And it was going to be a long day. But she needed to go back to her apartment for her luggage. They had all agreed to get hotel rooms in Rome so that they all would have a place to change. The Library wasn't ideal for such activities. And Jenkins had actually been able to configure a remote control system so that they could trigger the magic door from outside the Library. As long as it never fell into the wrong hands….

Jenkins awoke slowly, peacefully. He stretched. As the reality of the day entered his mind, he became slightly more nervous, but then dismissed it. This was happening. Being upset over his fate, or of Cassie's, would not help the situation. Though he knew the anger was still there, smoldering underneath millennia of careful control.

He packed in silence, and dressed. He was not a vain man, but simply a thoughtful one, even about clothes. No matter how he felt about the situation, he very much wanted to please Cassandra. He looked at himself in the mirror. He had learned so much about her in the last few days, he was actually just starting to believe, if even just a little, that he just might be a good match for her.

The day seemed both frenetic and well-organized at the same time. Now in Rome, things started to get serious. The girls giggled and had a good time as they all fussed with Cassandra's beautiful hair, Charlene unbending enough to tell several adventures of the first Guardian and Librarian. Cassie's mom came into the room for only a moment, hugged her and wished her well, but left quickly, knowing she would only make the situation more awkward.

Flynn knocked on the door to Jenkin's room. "Hey, Jenkins, we need to get going," he said through the door. The door opened to reveal a transformed man. While Jenkins had always been well-dressed in Carson's mind, he had nailed the look for today. He had clearly done something to his hair, toning down the silver. The dark tuxedo (Carson wore one to match) was perfectly cut, accentuated his height, giving Jenkins a truly regal bearing.

Flynn also noted that Jenkins had lost some weight in the intervening days. Most likely not being able to eat from being…preoccupied with the situation. While not the best reason for losing weight, it did look good on him - made him look younger.

Flynn concealed a grin, which he thought Jenkin's might misunderstand. He was truly sorry that his friend had been dosed this way, but he did think they would be a good match.

"I would not wish us to be late," Jenkins said calmly, though taking note of Carson's approval. "Cassandra is coming separately, yes?"

"Yeah, I've got a car waiting for us and the guys. We should be there first, I think?"

Jenkins nodded, but paused as he closed his hotel door, head bent forward in thought.

"I know you're worried," Flynn began quietly, "I would be, too, if I were in your position. And I'm truly sorry that your work in the Library brought you to this. But my advice is… to trust in Cassie. She's tougher and knows herself better than any of us, I think."

Jenkins nodded again, slowly. "I know it must seem as if I'm brooding about something than cannot be changed," he said softly, "but truly, my concern is for her. I would have never have expressed…."

"I know, you never would have said anything you thought "inappropriate," Carson finished. "But maybe that's the silver lining here? She's been crazy for you since we came to the Annex." Jenkins looked at Flynn, startled. "You thought we didn't all know? The only one that didn't see it right away was Jake, I think."

"And what do you think of me, Mr. Carson?" Jenkins looked at him fiercely, with a bit a steel in his voice. "What kind of old man would want –"

"You are a man, period. You are both adults. I trust you both, you'll work it out."

Jenkins nodded with acceptance. But he was certain he would need to hear this again and again over the next nine months.

Pope Francis had arranged to use the official papal quarters for the service, though he didn't actually use them regularly himself. The Pope was an unusual man, eschewing the normal privileges of his position. Jenkins had always liked him.

Everyone had arrived. Cassandra stood just outside the door, trying to calm herself. She could see everyone through the crack, and yet she didn't move. She knew she was waiting for…something. But what?

"I do hope that I am welcome," said a dry, Germanic voice behind her.

Cassie sucked in air. Dulaque. Jenkins' father.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I've updated Chapter 2 to include some explanation of Jenkins' past love. As this is not meant to be completely AU (in my head this story could be told at some point when Charlene is found again), I want to include the bits of canon that work within the story but don't detract. So, please go back and re-read the story from the beginning, and tell me what you think!**

Jenkins saw the man that was once his father through the crack in the door. His profile was unmistakable. He sprinted down the aisle, fearful that Dulaque had harming Cassandra in mind. Nothing was beyond the man Lancelot Du Lac had become.

Dulaque couldn't help but smirk as his long lost son burst through the door, ready to protect his bride. Galeas would never stop being a Knight, he thought, smug and sad at the same time. He himself had left the Round table and all it meant behind him centuries ago.

"What do you want!?" Jenkins asked forcefully, as Cassandra stared at him. She couldn't help it. Jenkins was stunning. He was regal, a true gentleman, the man of her dreams.

"I am simply here to wish you well, as I just found out your wedding was happening at all," Dulaque answered coolly. "This is a solemn ceremony, Galeas, or did you not realize that?"

Jenkins was incensed, but could not deny his father the right to be here. Dulaque was right. This ceremony, under these circumstances, could produce Jenkins' true heir. And by extension, Dulaque's heir. There was so much he had yet to tell Cassandra.

He forced himself calm. "It is up to you, my dear," he said to Cassandra. Cassandra knew he was trying to tell her things, but there was no time. She had to make a decision.

She looked Dulaque in the eyes. "Would you have really killed me?" she asked him, her voice deceptively soft.

Dulaque smiled tightly. "You are quite amazing, Cassandra Cillian. You saw right through me. No, I would not have. At some point, if I might be allowed to explain, but no, I would have allowed you to heal yourself. It was a mistake to keep the whole plan from Lamia, who thought you were only a means to an end."

Cassandra _felt_ the truth in his words. The way things had played out had bothered her since that day, as if she could sense Dulaque's plan. She nodded. "He can stay. And," here she paused, "he will bring me down the aisle."

Dulaque grinned. She was magnificent, a true match for his son. And they were getting married in the proper fashion, with the use of the ancient flower. Dulaque couldn't have planned it better.

Jenkins was a bit stunned, but recovered quickly. He had to. This ceremony needed to finish soon, before he embarrassed himself in front of everyone. It was frustrating that he had to give in to this man simply because of this stupid flower.

"Pope Francis will be here in a few minutes. If you need anything, please just scream," Jenkins said, with a smile on his lips. Oh, how he would love a good reason to skewer this man!

Cassandra nodded a quick, "Ok," as Jenkins turned around. She linked her arm into the crook of Dulaque's, clearly needing a steadying force.

Dulaque sucked in a breath at the contact. He could feel her magic. It was powerful. And he recognized it from long ago.

"You're Merlin," he said as quietly as he could.

"Yes," she replied without looking at him. But them she turned her head. "How can you tell?"

"Your magic. Galeas never had any talent for physical magic, but it has always come naturally to me," Dulaque explained. "I was a student of Merlin, in my time. The stories always leave that part out."

"I've tried to figure out what it all means," she said, talking quickly, hoping to gain some knowledge before this man disappeared again. "How can I have the magic of a dead man?"

"Oh, my dear, it is so much more complicated than that," Dulaque breathed, ecstatic. "We will speak more about this, after your child is born."

Cassandra nodded. That would have to do. Pope Francis had arrived. It was time.

Cassandra Cillian, Merlin herself, walked down the short aisle with Lancelot of the Lake, to be given into marriage to Galahad, Knight of the Round Table. It was a tale for the ages.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow, thanks to everyone for the reviews! Since that amazing episode, my inbox has exploded! Casskins is canon! I'm so grateful to the show for making this decision, it makes the show unique and special. I will be posting more often simply because of all the interest!**

 **For those just tuning in, this story will be several more chapters, not sure exactly how many. I tend to push out several short chapters that lead up to a long chapter, and then back again. I will probably edit the whole thing once I've completed it. My plan is to take this all the way through the birth mixed in with the intrigue of who Jenkins REALLY is and why an heir would be important.**

 **Yes, this story is for Mature readers only! I am very interested in Jenkins and Cassandra's growing understanding of themselves. There will be sexy times, and conversation about the non-consensual nature of their relationship.**

 **I do have more stories of Casskins in the works, so they won't all be this dark. Please critique in a respectful manner, I love feedback!**

 **And now, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

Dulaque had sat through the ceremony, but then excused himself immediately afterwards, kissing Cassandra's cheek and welcoming her to "the family." Jenkins had tried not to glare, but mostly failed.

He kept Cassie close, as it was actually more of a comfort to have her near than otherwise. He found this fact intriguing, the pollen's affects seemingly were dampened by her presence.

But there was no time to think about it, as they all went from the Papal quarters to their own hotel rooms to change, to meet up later for dinner. Dinner in Rome, Cassandra squealed internally.

She sensed a change in Jenkins' demeanor as the entered the honeymoon suite. The hotel staff had moved all of Jenkins and Cassandra's things to the new room. But that didn't seem to be the problem, as Jenkins became more jumpy as he looked through his clothes.

 _He's nervous._ Cassandra realized. Last night had been in desperation, and he had had little time or energy to think about what they were doing. Now, with his _wife_ in the same room, he was clearly trying to figure out what was appropriate.

"I'll use the bathroom first, then?" she suggested. His head snapped up at her voice, bringing him to the present.

"Of course," Jenkins said, nodding. Cassie smiled a little. Everything he said came out so gallantly. "Will you need… any help?" He regretted his words as soon as they were spoken. Good God, he sounded like a dirty old man.

"That would be great, if you're okay with it," she said with concern.

Jenkins slowly reached for the clasp at the back of the dress. It was a simple gown, but Jenkins had thought it gorgeous. His hand trembled as he unzipped her.

 _Oh….._ It was more than he had really seen of her, last night was a nearly a drugged-haze blur. She was creamy soft, her skin looked like silk, though he was trying to not touch her.

"Thank you," she said just above a whisper. She walked into the bathroom with her change of clothes.

Jenkins tried to catch his breath. He rubbed his eyes. He had never felt so unlike himself. But now was not the time to think about his feelings. He removed his tuxedo and changed into a less formal dinner jacket. He needed to be able to get through the next couple of hours. In company.

He fidgeted, smoothing his tie, his hair, making a mental note to continue using the rinse he had made to bring back some of his natural dark brown color, trying to do his best to make this easier for Cassandra. And he had to admit, for himself.

Cassandra came out. She was dressed in a beautiful dress that just showed her ankles. Jenkins gulped. He would have never have thought ankles could be so alluring.

Cassandra smiled, pleased. Jenkins looked amazing in his dinner jacket.

"You look nice," she said, feeling a little lame. How could she explain how she felt? She was about to be escorted to dinner in Rome by the most attractive man she had ever met. If other women weren't jealous, she didn't know what to do for them.

"Shall we?" he said, offering his arm. His calm demeanor was ruined only a fraction by the slight clenching of his jaw.

Dinner was a very pleasant affair. The food was excellent, and it allowed Cassandra the opportunity to observe her husband (she smiled at that thought) in a completely new setting.

Cassandra couldn't actually recall ever watching Jenkins eat a whole meal. He was clearly actually ambidextrous, as opposed to being right-handed, as she had originally thought. He chose seafood over pasta or red meat, and paired it with a very dry white wine that Cassandra had asked to just taste, having no tolerance for alcohol herself. He had impeccable manners, though his table etiquette matched someone raised in Europe rather than America.

She sighed. There was so much to observe, so much to learn….

Jenkins looked at her discreetly, with concern in his eyes. He had been enjoying himself, having not had a "dinner out" in nearly 50 years. And he hadn't had people that he considered friends to eat with in twice that time. But he had heard her sigh.

"Is everything alright?" he asked quietly, leaning towards her slightly. While natural-feeling, it was a mistake. The Nataliam affects had been manageable up until now. But as dinner neared its completion, and with the glass of wine, smelling the clean, floral perfume she preferred forced him to bow his head slightly and close his eyes to maintain his composure.

"I could ask the same thing of you?" Cassandra replied in the same conspiratorial tone reserved between lovers.

He nodded, fingering his napkin, clearly uncomfortable now, despite the pleasant evening. He simply _could not_ lose it in public.

Cassandra looked across the table at Eve, giving her a look that conveyed much. Eve got the hint. They needed to wrap this up.

"I know we all have to be pretty tired," the Guardian said. Everyone took the hint, though Cassandra's parents thought no more of it than giving newlyweds time to themselves. "We'll all meet for breakfast, yeah?"

Cassandra hugged her parents in the hotel lobby. While she was grateful for the renewed relationship, she knew they would never really understand her choices. And that was okay. She looked at her husband.

"Let's go," she whispered sensually, leaning on his arm. Jenkins tried hard to not clear his throat and smooth his tie nervously. And mostly failed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Wow, what a season! I've updated portions of chapter 1 just so the story isn't OOC, and I do want to include the canon that is most important to our heroes! Charlene will be a prominent part of the story!**

Jenkins tried not to fumble the keycard as he open the door to their room. Cassandra walked inside, silent. He shut the door, and then leaned against it slightly, staring at her.

Cassandra saw so many things in that moment. How desperately he wanted her. How inappropriate he felt it was. How angry he was at himself for feeling this way, and at the universe for forcing this on them. And how much he really did care for her, and was worried about what was to come next.

She walked over to the table in the suite, and pulled out one of the chairs. "Why don't you sit, and I'll massage your back again?" she said with a soft smile that she hoped came off as safe and inviting. Her new husband looked a bit like a deer looking down the barrel of a gun.

She really couldn't help the glimmer of a smirk that came to her lips. It was so delicious to be the one trying to make him comfortable, instead of the other way around. But she had no intention of telling him that. All of her dreams were coming true. But this was not his dream. At least, not yet.

Jenkins looked at the chair, and then back at her. He was dreadfully worried about his actions, certain that he would hurt her the moment he lost control. He could feel the pounding of his heart, the adrenaline running through his body. The simultaneous feelings of fear and desire were _not_ as fabulous as all the world's literature made them out to be.

He nodded, appreciating her willingness to take this slow. He took off his jacket, and loosened his tie. Cassandra came closer, and pulled at the tie slowly, eyes locked on his. She let it fall to the floor.

"Sit down, and lean forward," she said, indicating he should straddle the chair and use the back to lean on. He saw the benefit in this, as it gave her access to a wider range of his backside. He was actually looking forward to this, he realized.

She pushed hard with her thumbs, so very glad her father had taught her proper massage technique when she was 10. He had always been willing to teach her anything she wanted to learn. "It doesn't matter what size your hands are if you understand the way muscles are lain out," he had explained. Cassandra now recalled every piece of instruction and everything she knew about the human body to aid her new husband.

She went up and down his back slowly, deliberately, coming up to his shoulders and spending time there, then all the way down to the small of his back. He always stood ramrod straight, and was so very tall, Cassandra knew she would be giving him regular massages for some time to come.

Jenkins couldn't help but enjoy the attention. His height and weight (he was not a skinny man, he knew) had always caused him to have tension in his back, and though he did try to take care of himself, it was so very nice to have someone else take care of him for a change.

He relaxed into the chair, resting his head on his folded arms as Cassandra's warm hands pushed away some of the tension. Her hands felt so good, the muscles unknotting, he felt supple, safe….

"I wanted to ask you something," Cassandra said softly as she kneaded his back. "I know this isn't ideal, but I want you to be comfortable talking to me, and telling me what you need." She felt him tense at her last sentence, but kept going.

"I can't decide which one's better in this situation: waiting for you to tell me what you need, or just taking the initiative. Neither one is very…consensual," here she paused her massage, clearly emotional.

"If you don't mind, could you continue while we talk?" Jenkins asked in a very quiet voice. "It's a …welcome distraction."

She started again with no other comment, simply waiting for him to speak. Jenkins was nearly overwhelmed with gratitude.

"I feel very conflicted, to be honest," he said, "as I have never felt so unsure of my own mind. To have to ask you literally to bed me-" he took a deep breath, "seems so unethical, I am simply not sure how to deal with it."

"But I don't want to assume anything, either," Cassandra said. "I got to make a choice. You didn't."

They were both silent for several minutes, as Cassandra continued her ministrations. "I am afraid," Jenkins said finally, whispering. "I am afraid of the negative effects."

"What are they?" Cassandra asked, trying hard to sound comforting, and not worried.

"If the pollutant is not diffused regularly, I will become…aggressive," Jenkins swallowed, trying to focus on describing his condition. "Meaning that I must – partake- at least every couple of days, whatever it is. I must ejaculate," he said bluntly, his voice rising in pitch, his anger at the situation bubbling to the surface.

He couldn't hold it in anymore. The stress of the last several days, of forcing a beautiful young woman to marry him, of loving Charlene for so long and never being able to even kiss her cheek, he sat up, his hand over his eyes, trying to hide his grief. He broke.

Cassandra pulled away slightly. This man, this amazing, complicated man, was crying in front of her. She had wanted to be a little miffed, at first, over his unwillingness to embrace their new relationship. Couldn't he be a little happy that this wouldn't be so bad?

But she had squashed that thought like the bug it was. This wasn't his choice. This was so unlike the choice he would have made for himself as to be completely disgusting to him. He was afraid of forcing himself on her, of hurting her, and angry of not having the right to choose. Oh, he had a choice – this or death. That wasn't a choice.

She held him. Let him lean against her, as this Knight of the Round Table cried. She waited for the storm to pass, and then looked into his eyes.

"You can never hurt me," she said almost sternly. "I know that, it's a fact. But I don't want you to be so gallant that you try to go too long, without..." she blushed slightly. "So how about this: You get to control how often, unless I see that you're not asking for…enough. And then I'll initiate. And you'll have to believe that if I really don't want to do something, I'll speak up for myself. Fair?"

Jenkins looked at her in wonder. Where had this amazingly bold person come from? Had she been there all the time, but he had been busy pining after Charlene?

Something made him think about how his body was reacting to her closeness. He realized he was _aroused._ Good god, man, he thought.

"Cassandra," he wet his lips, his eyes drawn to her red plump ones. She was so close. "I…"

"Come over here," she pulled on his hand, guiding him to the in-suite jacuzzi. She turned the water on hot, and undressed him and herself as the tub filled.

Jenkins was so memorized by her beautiful body, he forgot to be self-conscious about his. The warm water was heaven, but it was only making him harder as he watched her slip into the tub around him. He was panting slightly, unable to catch his breath.

She slid up to him, watching him closely. "We don't have to do everything tonight," she said a little breathlessly, straddling him. "Touch me?" He was sexy, damn. Cassandra couldn't help it. She _loved_ her husband.

He made a small sound in the back of his throat, and closed his eyes. Feelings he had never had before blazed through him. He felt like he was on fire as he reached out and gently touched her breast, then her nipple.

Cassandra arched into his touch. She had never had anyone be this gentle, this thoughtful. She reached for him, gripping his hard member in her small hand.

"Cassandra," he struggled to get out, speechless at the feel of her hand sliding up and down, oh god it felt fantastic, the friction, his hips bucked, his hands kneaded her breasts, his head thrust back, pulling her to him, he couldn't control himself, he needed this, faster, please, he needed more-

He roared his release, panting, the euphoric feeling of release after so long (good lord, had it only been 24 hours?) forcing him to keep his eyes shut.

Which allowed Cassie to observe him without him knowing. He was beautiful, enjoying what she had done. She was nearly desperate to make him feel good, to make him forget about his past love. She wanted all of him, heart and soul.

He opened his eyes to the vision of a naked Cassandra straddling him, rubbing herself with his leg, her eyes clouded with desire. He could think a bit, now, free from the effect for a little while. She was clearly still very much aroused. _By me?_ He couldn't fathom the reality that was in front of him. But he wasn't going to let her do all the work.

He reached down, and touched her core, finding her clitoris. He wasn't a complete innocent. She gasped at the touch, needing only a few swipes of his thumb to set her free, shaking violently in the pleasure released.

He got out, grabbed a towel, and reached for her, drying her and caressing her. He very much wanted her to feel special, even if he was surprised she wanted him.

They made their way to the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. It was HARD to write. Please let me know if it is believable, and interesting. :)**

Morning light peaked around the edges of the curtains in the room, forcing Jenkin's eyes to flutter open. Confused for only a brief second at the sight of the lovely Cassandra lying naked next to him, memories of last night flooded his mind.

They hadn't _consummated_ the marriage yet, in the traditional sense, as there had been an unspoken agreement between them to simply try to get to know one other. And, truth be told, they had both been exhausted.

But Jenkins knew they needed to "do they deed" (he grimaced at the phrase, what a horrible thing to think) soon, so that Cassandra had the best chance of becoming pregnant as soon as possible. The sooner she could give birth to his child, the sooner he could set her free. Though the possibility of Dulaque's interference worried him. He would need to explain to Cassandra soon who she had _really_ married.

And they needed to do it soon, as Flynn, Eve, Jake, Ezekiel, and Cassandra's parents would be expecting them to join them for breakfast.

Jenkins sighed, a bit exasperated at the situation. He, of course, knew the mechanics of sex. But he was at a loss as to the niceties. Was there a specific time interval of foreplay required? Should he announce his intention to mount her? _Good god, this is mortifying,_ he thought to himself.

Cassie woke, hearing Jenkins' sigh. She opened her eyes and saw the deep frown lining his face. His discomfort was palatable. Her mind sped along the same path Jenkins had just tread. They had to do this.

Keeping her eyes glued to his, she leaned towards him slowly. Jenkins' heart raced, as he watched her come towards him. Her lips touched his. Only a few seconds went by before he reciprocated, but he did not deepen the kiss, and she didn't insist. Her hands fluttered along his chest, forcing his own eyes to flutter shut. A small sound of desire came unbidden from the back of his throat. He was helpless.

Cassie reached down gently to touch his erection. He was already hard. Harder than she though a man of his age ever could be. She was pretty sure that was from the effect of the pollen, but she didn't want to wait, and have him think about it too much.

She straddled him. She had no idea when she had become so bold. She was so wet, just thinking about this moment. She took his hands for support, lifted herself up, and slowly sank down on him, enjoying feeling his length enter her. It was the first time she had ever enjoyed this particular act.

Jenkins grunted in pleasure, arching his pelvis into Cassandra. Oh, god, it was incredible, she was warm and wet, as she moved up and down on him, the suction pulling at his foreskin. He was trying so hard to control himself, he was panting with exertion, trying not to thrust into her madly, he couldn't help but vocalize his pleasure, not even really aware of the carnal sounds he was making.

"Cass- " he choked out, the feeling of being inside her too overwhelming for more.

All he could think of was the feeling, the need for completion. He needed more, he couldn't wait. His hands grabbed the ironwork of the headboard, giving him the leverage to thrust up - hard.

Cassie shuddered in pleasure. She was ecstatic. He was unbelievably amazing, she hadn't thought it possible it would be this fantastic. His voice spurred Cassie on, as she leaned back, bracing him arms behind her on the bed, changing the angle of their coupling. Jenkins' hips bucked on their own from the new sensation as he howled in gratification.

"FUCK!" he swore, completely oblivious to doing so, but the expletive shot right to Cassie's core, she was making him do this it was her he was swearing for….Cassie's voice joined Jenkins' in a frantic keening as his hard cock rubbed against her clit. She had always wanted to do this, fantasized about this –

They came together, reaching the peak after a few moments of erratic thrusting. Jenkins hips continued to gyrate, riding his orgasm. His eyes were closed as he tried to catch his breath.

He opened his eyes as Cassandra rolled off of him, and nearly skipped to the bathroom for tissue. She cleaned herself up quickly, and came back to the bed, where Jenkins was sitting, having finally swung his long legs to the side.

Cassie was euphoric. Jenkins clearly was not, with his head bent forward and eyes closed, as if he was trying to forgive himself for something.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly. She knew this was a big step for them.

Jenkins looked up at her, but then turned his head aside. "We should…get dressed," he nodded, hiding behind the necessities. "Everyone will be expecting us soon."

Cassandra nodded. Whatever was bothering her new husband would have to wait.


	11. Chapter 11

Eve could tell there was something wrong immediately. Jenkins was trying to stay as far away from Cassandra as he could without drawing attention. But Eve had been trained to assess the body language of those around her.

These two weren't acting like a couple on their honeymoon. Jenkins, in particular, was acting… _guilty._

She let them "pretend" everything was alright through breakfast. Even Flynn was fooled, though Eve was pretty sure that was simply because he was trying hard to ignore the situation under a false sense of leaving Jenkins his dignity rather than being actually obtuse. Ezekiel was just being himself, stuffing his face. But Jake….

Eve had been a bit worried about how Jake was handling this. Eve knew Jake blamed himself for not forgiving Cassie's "sell-out" in the beginning- it had taken him too long to repare the friendship for any other kind of relationship to blossom. She worried that Jake was now jealous. Well, no, actually she was certain he was jealous, just from the way he stared at Jenkins while eating. But _how_ jealous, only time would tell.

Cassandra's parents kept up the conversation around the table, asking them all in turn about their "library job." Zeke actually handled it like a pro, making up a "security" job at the library and an American-born mother and an Australian father. Eve needed to remember to commend him on being able to create such a good lie on the fly.

Eve saw her chance come when Cassie got up to use the bathroom. "I'll go with you," she said with a smile. They both headed to the restroom in silence.

She looked at Cassie as the main door to the bathroom closed. "Everything ok?"

Cassandra nodded, but then shook her head.

"He didn't… hurt you, did he?" Eve asked. Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise.

"No, of course not!" she said vehemently, which assured Eve somewhat.

"Well, then, what's going on? Because you two are _not_ acting like lovers on their honeymoon."

"I don't know…." Cassie started, and then paused. "I think I…might have hurt him, somehow. Not physically-" here she blushed while trying to explain, "but I think I did something wrong. Or just, this whole situation is wrong. Jenkins isn't…adjusting well."

Eve heaved a sigh. "It's a lot of change for him in a short period of time," she said, talking it through, "and he's not the type of person that does things without thinking them through."

"Exactly," Cassie said, nodding her head. "We have to talk and make up ground rules while…taking care of things…." She looked at the floor, still embarrassed. She didn't think Jenkins would like her telling Eve too much about their personal life. "But honestly, I'mworried now that… he might have… liked you better." Her voice had gotten quieter, until at the eend of her sentence, she was nearly whispering. Tears swam in her eyes.

Eve shook her head. "No way," she said. "I respect Jenkins, hell, I probably even love him in a fraternal sort of way, but I don't think I'm what he needs. You care for him in a way that would take me too long to develop. And that's what he needs right now."

As they came back into the restaurant, Eve reached to touch Cassie's arm. "I get that you can't take things _too_ slow," she said, "but maybe…letting him get to know you on a more personal level?" Cassie hugged her quickly, trying to keep the lump in her throat from bursting.

"But the offer stands: let me know if there's anything I can do to help," she said, looking Cassandra straight in the eye. Cassie understood. Eve would be there for Jenkins, if she couldn't be.

Jenkins watched them both from the other side of the restaurant. He was certain Cassandra had not been satisfied with his… performance… this morning, coupled with his own feelings of impropriety, made for a rather awkward breakfast. And now she was telling Baird. Jenkins could barely choke down his food at the idea.

His eyes swept across the table, and made contact with Jacob's. The men stared at each other over for the briefest of moments, but Jenkins understood. Not everyone was as willing to trust him as Flynn was.

Breakfast wrapped up, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Cillian off to the airport before using the remote control for the door to the Library. Jenkins and Cassie then said their goodbyes to the rest of the team, and took another door to the Anglesey airport in Wales, blending in with the debarking passengers as they headed to the car-rental counter.

Jenkins spoke the gentleman at the counter in Welsh, which brought Eve's advice to the forefront of Cassandra's thoughts. She had thought she knew this man reasonably well. She was learning quickly that she truly knew nothing about him at all.

It was a beautiful spring day as they drove through the countryside to the castle that Zeke and Flynn had booked for a week for them. It was actually fun to watch Jenkins drive – another skill Cassandra had nearly forgotten he possessed.

They made meaningless conversation until they arrived at the smallish (but still impressive) castle. Jenkins had actually called Flynn to create a door at a rest stop along the way to collect the rest of their luggage. It would probably be a bit too much for the staff to believe that they were planning to stay for a week with only a couple of duffle bags between them.

Cassie forgot her troubled thoughts for a moment upon arrival. The staff had been expecting them, and treated their arrival as if they were the masters of the house, lining up for an old-fashion greeting of lord and servants.

Cassandra suspected Jenkins was as surprised by the reception as she was, though he hid it better- he spoke Welsh exclusively with the staff, giving her enough time to try to start picking up the language. The staff were enchanted with Jenkins' fluency, as they had thought they were dealing with rich Americans, and even with her own attempts to speak a language she had only really heard a couple of hours ago. _This might just be fun,_ she thought as the footmen took in their luggage.

After a brief meeting with the head housekeeper and butler about such things as mealtimes, they both made their way up the stairs to the "main quarters", guided by yet another servant.

The door finally shut, they were finally alone, with nothing else to do. It was time.

Cassandra turned to Jenkins. "We need to talk."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! It was Spring Break, I got the crud after Spring Break, and this chapter was complicated to write. I hope I haven't messed anything up too badly. Please let me know what you think, especially about believability! I may have to add/change the details later if things don't work out well, but here we go!**

JCJCJCJCJCJ

Jenkins' looked over at her. He felt like he was going to burst. There was so much he wanted to say, and he was certain he was going to completely cock it up.

"Could we, perhaps, go for a walk?" He sounded so calm, but his eyes were pleading with her.

"Sure," she consented. Whatever he needed to tell her would probably be easier than feeling trapped with her in the room.

The smell of the flowers growing around the castle put Cassie at ease as they walked in silence. These smells reminded her of the good times in her mother's garden, as she listed the health benefits of the planets around them. Her mother had always liked it when she could tell them things like that.

They came up to a magnificent bush of gardenias. "There are many things I need to tell you," Jenkins finally said. Cassandra turned to look at him. "But I must apologize first. For my…." here he paused, and closed his eyes in acute embarrassment as he looked away, "behavior this morning."

Cassie blinked, and opened her mouth, only to close it again. She was so surprised – this was _not_ what she was expecting.

"I don't know what you mean?"

Jenkins looked at her oddly. "I do not believe the term "fuck" is one that is normally appropriate to use while making love. I assume that's why you left the bed so quickly."

"No, of course not!" she said quickly, while processing what he said. Love….

"Then…may I ask why?" he asked. Cassie was still trying to work through the fact that he thought they had made love. It was such an old fashioned term.

But Jenkins took her silence for something else. "I understand you may not wish to... confide in me."

"No, it's not that," she said, finding her voice. "Our ages might be an obstacle, but only because we both have experiences… that aren't pleasant. I'm not used to telling anyone how I feel, simply because there's never been anyone to tell. You've been alone, but I know you probably feel like I'm too young to be _your_ confidant." She looked up at him expectantly. She would file the "making love" comment away for now.

Jenkins stared at her for moment, and then looked away. He jammed his hands in his pockets, clearly trying to collect himself.

"It is… humiliating… to not be in control." He turned his body away from her, his voice tightly controlled. Cassie waited in silence.

"This...condition... It doesn't allow me any control at all. It doesn't matter what I want, what I think is appropriate, how I would wish to behave, nothing. It is… demeaning…dishonorable."

She saw him clench his fists. "I want to want you…honorably." He raised his face to the sky, trying desperately to keep his dignity. "I was raised by a Code, a guide of behavior. I want to do right by you, but this doesn't even allow me that. I can't even decide to _want_ you, it's decided for me."

He sighed in frustration, rubbing his hand over his eyes wearily. "There doesn't seem to be words adequate to describe how it feels." He half-turned to look at her.

"You get to say anything you want to…when we make love. When we're alone, you get to do and say whatever you want… or whatever the Nataliam makes you. That's not bad, and I don't want you to be embarrassed by it," Cassie said quietly but firmly. Jenikins turned to fully look at her, surprise on his face.

"And I only ran to the bathroom to clean up, not because I was upset or disgusted," she finished.

"But…" Jenkins frowned, "then why did you speak to Col. Baird about it this morning?"

"Oh!" Cassie realized what he probably thought he had seen. "No, Eve just wanted to make sure I was okay, because we were both acting so awkward. I didn't tell her anything." She looked into his eyes. "I would never betray you like that."

Jenkins sighed with relief. And then a hint of a smile. "Thank you. But we are both a bit…preposterous, don't you agree?"

Cassie grinned. "Yes. The situation is pretty ridiculous. But if we talk, if we always talk, we should be okay, yeah?"

Her statement remind Jenkins that there was more to say. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I agree. Which is why I need to tell you something else."

Cassie looked at him expectantly, turning her head slightly to the side. Jenkins drank in the sight. He was just learning about the beguiling creature in front of him. "You never did ask me what I meant when I told you Dulaque was hard to kill, when you threw him out of that airplane," Jenkins smiled at the thought, "though you didn't seem too terribly surprised when he walked in on our wedding."

"No, I suppose I wasn't," she said, thinking about it. She knew she needed to tell him about her magic, though.

But she didn't get a chance, as Jenkins continued, "Have you read the _Mabinogion?"_ She shook her head. "It's actually a fairly faithful account of my family's history. The children of Llyr," he said wistfully, remembering a past that was so much longer ago than his friendship with Arthur. "There's a reason that Dulaque didn't die." He looked at her, his eyes tired but cautious. "He's the child of a god."

" _A_ god?" Cassie said, scrunching up her nose. "Oh!" she said, making connections that had just been waiting for the right input. "Oh! That makes so much sense! That's where the lay lines come from!"

"In a simple way, yes," Jenkins sighed, trying to find the right words. She clearly hadn't yet made the final connection. "The universe itself can be seen as an extension of the will of consciousness. Some of them put themselves into galaxy-making. Some into planets. Some walk among us, their consciousness becoming corporeal from time to time, allowing them to take human form, creating new life. That's Dulaque."

Cassie looked at Jenkins intently, seeing the patterns, willing herself to understand. "So… your mother was fully human, but your father is the son of a god and another human?" Jenkins nodded slowly, letting her work through it.

"So… what does that make you?"

"Something that hasn't been seen since the fall of the Egyptian Empire. I age, slowly, but entropy will catch up to me, eventually. I cannot be killed, but I can die. Somehow. Puck the Fae told me so. "Semi-immortal" is a good way to describe me." He sighed even heavier now, fidgeting with his tie nervously.

"But?" Cassie prodded. She could tell he was working himself up to tell her something important.

"Our child. I don't know how our child will be viewed. Llyr himself might be pleased, might bless the child with my brand of immortality, or could possibly even not be pleased. It's an unknown that I needed to tell you." _Thank goodness she doesn't have actual magical abilities,_ he thought to himself. _She_ really _wouldn't want to know what would happen then._

"I have something I need to tell you, too," Cassandra drew herself up straight.

"I'm Merlin."

Jenkins could only stare.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the massive delay. My computer crashed, and since I got tired of waiting for it to be fixed before writing more, I'm posting this chapter from the notes app on my phone. That's how much I love you all, and this story!

What?" he just barely managed to get out. He felt glued to the spot on the grass.

"When we were in Bremen, ,wa, and the book was making the fairy tales? The little girl changed the story, made me Merlin. And it didn't go away once everything was over." Cassandra brought up the blue flame in her hand. "I've been working with it slowly, trying to learn how to use it."

Jenkins swallowed, his throat dry as he stared at the flame. So familiar, so ancient, and so very dangerous.

"I thought I might be able to use it to get rid of the tumor," she said quietly, looking shyly up at him through her long lashes. She was feeling confused. This wasn't the reaction she had expected. Concern from him, surly, but not this...fear.

Jenkins closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it.

"Cassandra," he began, wetting his lips nervously, "this is..." he couldn't bring himself to say "bad", he didn't want her to misunderstand him. Over a thousand years, hunting magic, being hunted himself, experimented on, and hated, he had never felt so trapped. His face flushed, it was hard to breathe. As if he was going to explode, and the world would end.

Plus the fact that the damned pollen was making it hard to think again, as he reacted to her nearness. He bit his bottom lip in frustration. Control yourself!

Cassie's eyes went wide watching his reactions. She knew he was trying to tell her something, something serious, but she couldn't help enjoy the warmth pooling at her center from watching him lick and bite his lips. Oh, how she wanted to do that!

But she took a deep breath. Now was not the time to act like a horny schoolgirl. "What is it?" She prompted him.

Jenkins turned his back to her again. She was beginning to recognize the few coping mechanisms he had for dealing with embarrassment. "Our child," he finally said, his voice low and rough. "Your magic, my heritage. Our child will be..." he took a deep breath, clearly trying to summon the courage to say it aloud.

"Llyr. Our child will be Llyr," he nearly spat it out, turning to look at her, his eyes so deeply sad. "I am so very sorry."

ooOoo

They turned together and walked back to the castle. Neither of them spoke, but Jenkins' body language told Cassie much. His fists were clenched, his nostrils flared, he was in a rage. He could be a dangerous man, she realized. But his rage wasn't directed at her.

"What should we do?" She asked softly. Jenkins looked at her sharply, his eyes blazing. But she could visibly see the control he forced upon his whole body. His muscles would hurt later, she noted, planning out their evening.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," he said finally, calmer, though still not willing to touch her as they walked. "In any sane scenario, I would simply say that children were completely off the table. But that leaves me with few options. I suppose..." he drifted off, giving her a sideways look as if he had though better of finishing the sentence.

"We could ask Eve," she said simply. Jenkins stopped by the large bush of gardenias and looked at her.

"It would not be my first choice," he said quietly, his eyes large and loving. Cassie smiled a brilliant smile just for him. "Thank you. I appreciate that. But I might already be pregnant, too."

"True." Jenkins bent his head, deep in thought. But as he looked up at her, he saw the castle agent walking towards them. He did not want to be overheard.

Cassie looked where his eyes were focused, and waited for the man to reach them. "Pardon me, my lord, but the cooked wished to know if there were any food preferences or dislikes. That information had not been made available earlier," he said in English, not wanting to break the illusion of their "ownership" in mentioning that clearly Flynn and Ezekiel had not filled out that section on the online reservation.

"I'll talk to her," Cassie offered, a chance for them both to think through the recent revelations. She was going to give birth to a god. That required some contemplation.

Cassie strode off to the castle entrance, leaving Mr. Rees and Jenkins. It would be awkward, of Jenkins was not way passed awkward, and Mr. Rees not so kind ch of a professional.

Rees was about to back away when Jenkins gestured at the flower bush. "Gardenias are my favorite," he said simply in English, as if it was a normal thing to tell one's butler about one's favorite flower.

"I know, my lord," Rees answered simply, but in Welsh.

Jenkins looked at him sharply. The sentence held more meaning than just a declaration of knowing a random person's flower preference.

"We were unsure, until you arrived. And now, knowing your favorite flower, it is confirmed. This village has waited your return for many centuries, Lord Galahad."

"How do you know that name?" Jenkins was gone, and the Knight was fully present. The air around him almost seemed electrified. He didn't know if they were in danger from an enemy, but he would protect Cassandra with his body if required. "And what village is this, exactly?"

"The old name is Oase, my lord."

Jenkins was shaken to his core. His body trembled, but he managed somehow to keep himself upright. "King Pellas' castle. Where I was conceived."

"The people here have waited a long time, lord." Rees confirmed. "The old tales say that you will return at the end of the world, finally laying down your earthly burden here, where you began."

Jenkins' fears were being confirmed. Everything, from the Nataliam, to marrying Cassandra, to this castle screamed interference from supernatural sources. And he had hated being used from the time he had realized he was just a pawn being used between his parents.

But as Rees waited for a response, Jenkins remembered that he was a Knight, who's oath included protecting and leading these people. These were literally his people, a thousand years removed. He would not abandon them.

"I will inform my lady of the situation," Jenkins said formally. "And I will want to speak with your elders tomorrow."

Rees bowed in the old tradition, from the waist, and left Jenkins on the lawn, deeply disturbed. The Librarians had been tracking the Egyptian god Apep for some time now. He had wondered if other gods would appear as well. He should have known better.


	14. Chapter 14

Dinner over, they headed for bed. Cassie looked over at Jenkins as they climbed the stairs. He was clearly agitated, but it seemed like more was on his mind than just the effects of the pollen.

Jenkins just wanted to make it to the bedroom before he completely lost control. It had been all he could manage not to bend Cassandra over the dinner table and take her right there. She was so alluring in candlelight... So many conflicting emotions, with the pollen effects and the possibility of bring Llyr into the world, he wet his dry lips again as he opened the bedroom door for her.

"Would you like to bathe before..." he trailed off, not quite being able to get out "having sex with me."

"We can do that later," she said quickly, as she pulled him into the room and shut the door. She began to undress him quickly, leaving no question as to her intentions.

Jenkins was relieved, kicking off his shoes, letting her take off his jacket and tie, feeling her body with his warm hands, so glad he didn't have to pretend to be a gentleman right now. Because he really didn't feel like one.

Cassandra had planned ahead, finding a chair that would work for what she had in mind tonight and having it moved to the bedroom. She guided him towards it now, while she make which work of his suspenders and trousers, all of it.

"Sit," she said softly in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. He sat.

The chair was velvet, a sensual underpinning to the Cassandra's plan. She slowly removed her clothes for him, letting him watch every movement. His breath ragged, it was all he could do to keep himself from throwing himself at her, but someone in the back of his mind, he knew she was planning something, and didn't want to ruin it.

She took two black ribbons that were lain out undoubtedly for just this purpose, and tied his wrists to the chair's arms, looking at him in the eye the entire time. Satisfied that he was secured, her lips made a smile. Jenkins could barely breath, but this time it was anticipation. He couldn't have imagined what she would do next, as she knelt between his legs and put her moist lips to his rock hard shaft.

"Cassandra!" Jenkins nearly squealed, he was so surprised, trying to jerk backwards, but the high back of the chair prevented it. He quickly ended his protest, though, as he felt her warm, wet throat glide along his length. She swirled her tongue around and over his thick head, electing the most amazing sounds from him.

Cassie looked up at him through her lashes. His head back, his eyes closed, lips parted, grunting in desire and pleasure, gods above, he was beautiful, the perfect picture of a man letting his partner pleasure him. Cassie's core ached, but she wanted to him to orgasm.

"Ah, Cass-an-dra, oh god yes please-" Jenkins groaned, begging, not caring who heard. He wanted to fist her hair, fuck her face, it felt so good. His head hitting the back of the chair as he tried to thrust farther into her mouth, his wrists tied down, every sensation was magnified, all he could do was feel.

Cassie could feel his need to increase her speed, her suction, she did it all -

Jenkins cried out his release, bucking into her mouth, pleasure crowning as she swallowed his offering. She licked him clean, sending jolts of pleasure from his over-sensitive cock. He grew hard again from the attention, and made a quiet noise of disappointment. Could he never be satisfied?

Cassandra stood, in all her bare glory. His breathing ragged, he stared at her with wide eyes as she slid her legs over his hips and sat in his lap. Cassie contemplated him briefly, as if wanting to satisfy herself that he was ok. She then put her hands through the arms of the chair, and used the leverage to impale herself on his re-awakened member.

"Oh, god, Cassie!" Jenkins nearly screamed, the sensation of being in her directly after ejaculating exquisite. He pulled his hands free of the restraints, and pulled her tightly to him, grunting in carnal passion.

Cassie grinned fiercely, and used his grip on her to ride him hard. This wasn't going to last long.

Jenkins roared a second time, pleasure tinged with an almost painful intensity, as Cassie slowed her pace, ecstatic. Jenkins took in great gulps of air, trying to catch his breath. His eyes heavy with relief, he looked at her. She glowed with pleasure and happiness. But as the fog of pleasure lifted, he realized-

"You didn't orgasm," he said, concern on his face. Cassie just smiled and leaned into him, still coupled.

"That's real life," she explained. "This isn't a quid pro quo, and orgasm isn't the only benefit. Plus," she looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes, "I'm sure you can rectify that later."

He smirked at that. She was wonderful, his Cassandra. They would face the final battle of good and evil together.


End file.
